Hush Now
by Kyaserin Marii
Summary: Now I lay me down to sleep. Beneath the ground 6 feet deep.  Time is short for my life to save...please, or my last breath will be in this grave... Amen..Challenge fic
1. Chapter 1

**_*Dusts off keyboard* Wow...it has definitely been a while. I have not given up on "The Blame Game", promise. I'm hoping to get an update up as soon as I can. I have joined the working world again, and right now my schedule varies from week to week. But I could not resist the challenge that Connie Nervegas put up on stealthy stories. It has already created two awesome fics that I know about..."60 minutes" by LilNinjaWolf and "Taphophobia" by Simone Robinson. _**

**_Thanks for let me borrow Leo, LNW :)_**

**_I've said please, gimme, now and trick or treat...but they just wouldn't give up ownership..._**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Chapter one: Now I lay me down to sleep…

Leo stood at window of April's apartment staring at the dark clouds that were gathering in the sky. He impatiently looked back at the wall clock, worry knotting in his stomach.

"Settle down, Fearless," Raph sighed as he continued to flip through the television. "Mikey, will be back soon. He just wanted ta get some extra candy. Let 'im enjoy the one time we can walk around with the humans."

Leo nodded stiffly and walked away from the window, but not without glancing once more out the window.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "It's just that…it looks like it is going to rain…and he said he was just going around the block…and…"

"And you are worryin' over nothing," Raph growled. "He's not that late. The movie hasn't even started yet."

Don and April exited the kitchen, both had their arms full of snacks and soda. Leo quickly relieved April of her load and put the items on the coffee table.

"If it would settle your nerves, perhaps you could go out and accompany your brother home," Splinter spoke up over his cup of tea. "Then we can all enjoy the Halloween movie."

Leo gave his Master a bow. "We should be back soon."

April handed Leo an umbrella as he was walking toward the door. "Don't let Mikey eat all the candy," she laughed. "Or will have to tie him down before the night is out."

Leo chuckled. "I'll try, but knowing Mikey half the candy is already gone."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Even though it was Halloween, and no one would pay much attention to a giant turtle, Leo took to the rooftops. He still didn't want to be spotted by humans. Even if they just stopped to admire his "costume", he felt uneasy.

He was relieved when he spotted his brother. He wasn't too thrilled that his brother strolled openly with a large group of kids. But he couldn't help to smile at the content look on the orange clad turtle's face.

Leo jumped down a fire escape a few streets up from where his brother was. He could wait in the alley for his brother to pass and then get his attention. Thunder clapped as he stood against the building, in the shadows and watched the people go by. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. It seemed he found his brother just in time, before the rain came.

Thunder rolled again, so loud that Leo didn't hear the shuffle behind him. He didn't sense the malicious presence until he had a strong arm crushed against him and a baseball mitt-sized hand over his mouth. He was roughly dragged back further in the alley. He tried to twist away from his attacker, but that made the man squeeze tighter.

"Quiet," the man hissed. "Stop squirming, freak."

Leo's heart dropped. He recognized the voice.

Hun.

The hand was removed from his mouth and Leo gasped for air. He didn't get two breaths out before Hun slapped his hand back, this time with a thick cloth.

Leo let out a loud, muffled moan, but another crack of thunder prevented him from being heard. He violently jerked and struggled as the sickly sweet smell entered his nostrils.

"I was hoping to find one of you freaks out tonight," Hun taunted. "I've been following that goof all night, but there was never a right chance to grab him."

Leo's heart squeezed painfully. He worried all evening for his brother, and now he knows why.

"Well, it looks like you will be the one that gets to have all the fun."

Leo blinked rapidly, trying to keep the drug from taking over his consciousness. But it was no use, his struggling began to slow and his eyelids started to droop. The last thing he saw before the darkness overtook him was his orange clad brother walk past the alley entrance.

Mikey didn't even glance in the alley. He was too excited about getting to spend the rest of the evening with his family…


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hope y'all enjoy the next chapter...there is a list on stealthy stories of the fics that take on this challenge, all worth checking out!_**

**_don't own them...but I do have a cool Leo wallpaper on my phone :)_**

**_~ . ~ . ~ . ~_**

Chapter 2: Beneath the Ground Six Feet Deep

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Mikey burst through April's door and shook the rain off of his body.

"Trick or Treat, dudes," he shouted, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

He plopped down beside Raph on the sofa. "I got an awesome haul, bro. We won't be needing candy for a long time!" He sat the wet pillowcase on the coffee table.

"Ugh, Mikey!" Raph pushed him away. "Why didn't ya use the umbrella Leo brought ya? Or do ya just like annoying me."

"Well, you know I live to annoy you…and what do you mean, Leo didn't bring me an umbrella." He motioned wildly to his body. "If he did, would I be soaking wet?"

This statement got Don and Splinter's attention.

"Leo went out to get you about twenty minutes ago," Don said.

"I didn't see him," Mikey shrugged. "It's pouring outside, I'm sure he won't look for very long. He should be back any minute."

"Yeah," Raph snorted. "And he'll be madder than a old wet hen."

"Well, it's not my fault he decided to come get me," Mikey scoffed. "He's got an umbrella."

Splinter looked at the clock. "Yes, I do believe Michelangelo is correct. If your brother is not back before the movie starts, we can call him on his cell."

Raph shrugged and picked up Mikey's candy bag. He started to rummage around. "I hope you got some chocolate in here somewhere."

"Whoa, dude!" Mikey pulled the bag back. "He who ran around all night in the rain gets first dibs on the candy stash."

Raph ripped the bag out of Mikey's hands and drew his fist back. "Yeah, and he who doesn't give up his chocolate to his hotheaded brother gets a fist full of pain!"

"Eeep," Mikey gulped and released his grip on the pillowcase.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo moaned as he started to come to. That must have alerted Hun that his prisoner was waking up. The next thing Leo knew he could feel hot, putrid breath against his face.

"Trick or treat, freak," Hun hissed.

Leo swallowed thickly, hot bile snaking up his throat. He tried to move away, but he found he couldn't move his arms. His eyes shot open and his world moved in circles around him. He had to quickly shut them to keep from throwing up. His head pounded like a bass drum.

After the nausea seemed to subside, Leo slowly opened his eyes. The night sky came into view. It was clear, the rain had passed. He blinked a few times, and tried to get his bearings. He could feel wet grass under him and the smell of damp dirt hung in the air. He tried to move again but his wrists were crossed and bound tightly to his chest.

The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating everything around in an eerie glow. Leo could feel the blood freeze in his veins when he realized where he was. Old grave markers, concrete angels, and broken crosses littered the ground. Weeds were high and vines snaked around the tombs and along the ground.

Shadows moved slowly around. If he wasn't a ninja, Leo wouldn't think much about it. But he knew that those shadows were alive…foot soldiers, waiting for their orders from Hun.

Leo slowly rolled his eyes around and met Hun's glare. He tested the ropes once more, hoping that if he could get loose, he could wipe the smirk off of the man's face.

"Now that you are awake, turtle, the fun can begin." Hun moved toward him and Leo couldn't help but to gasp when he saw what Hun carried. A shovel gleamed in the moonlight.

Hun crouched down next to Leo. He looked to over his shoulder and Leo followed his gaze to the pile of dirt and open casket just a few feet away.

The smile on Hun's face grew. "Trick for you…treat for me."

Leo couldn't speak over the lump that had formed in his throat. With a snap of Hun's fingers the ninja moved out of the shadows and surrounded the blue clad turtle.

"No!" Leo screamed when they jerked him to his feet. Panic surged through him like electricity. He twisted and squirmed, trying to break their grip. He kicked out and managed to knock one soldier to the ground. But Hun put a stop to any escape attempt with one quick punch. Leo's head snapped back and if it wasn't for the soldiers holding him up, he would have landed face first in the dirt. He groaned and spit the blood from his mouth.

Hun lifted Leo's chin and glowered into his eyes. "Don't try anything like that again, or I'll bury you six feet deep without the casket!"

Another hard slap made his ears ring.

"Put him in!"

Leo let out a yelp when they lifted him off the ground and started to carry him over to the casket. He was going to be buried alive and his brothers didn't know where he was…_he _didn't know where he was.

Leo quickly turned his head in all directions and tried to get some idea of where he was. It was an old cemetery…no one has tended to the grounds in a long time. There was one lone tree, naked of all it's leaves standing on a hill with a statue of Jesus…maybe Mary, by it. Panic knotted in his stomach…that didn't tell him anything. There were dozens of old cemeteries in New York…if he was still in New York.

He could hear Hun's laughter over his heart pounding in his ears.

"Don't worry, freak…I'm not that cruel. You won't be alone." Hun laughed.

A new fear rose in his chest.

"Mikey?" Leo barely whispered.

"Nope, not one of your freak brothers." Hun gave a small bow and gestured to the coffin. "Blue boy, meet Mr. Dolan."

Leo looked down into the coffin as they had him hovering over it. His eyes widened and he started to struggle more when he saw the skeletal remains laying in the worn casket.

He couldn't hold back the scream as they started to lower him in the coffin. They roughly dropped him in and the bones crunched and rattled beneath him. Leo choked out a sob as the dust surrounded and then finally settled on him.

"It seems that old Mr. Dolan's family had some money. This coffin is in pretty good shape, I'd say you have at least two hours of air…maybe an hour and a half." He leaned in close. "That is, if you don't freak out and use all your air up."

Hun tossed a flashlight in the coffin. The beam was low, the batteries almost dead.

"Here is a treat for you," Hun smirked as he held up a small black device. He placed it near Leo's head. "That's a communicator. The other mutant freaks can be with you in your last hours."

His smile grew even more. "But here is the trick!" He stuffed a cloth in Leo's mouth and taped it down with a strip of duct tape. "They can talk to you, but you can't talk to them."

Leo's scream was muffled behind the gag when Hun slammed the lid and slid the lock in place.

"Enjoy your dirt nap!"

Leo could barely hear him through the casket. He could feel the coffin being lifted and then lowed into the ground. The sounds of casket scraping across the dirt and rocks echoed through the small space. Leo held his breath as it finally hit the bottom of the hole. It wasn't thirty seconds and he started to hear the dirt being shoveled back into the grave. His breath came out shakily and erratic behind the gag and soon the pulse pounding in his ears drowned out the dirt and debris hitting the casket.

Hun turned from the grave as the soldiers quickly filled the hole. He pulled a turtle shaped phone from his pocket. He opened it and pushed a random button.

He paused when the line clicked and a gruff, _hello _came from the speaker.

"Happy Halloween," Hun sang into the phone.

He held phone from his ear when the speaker started to yell.

"_Where is our brother? You had betta' answer me ya nut job!"_

"No, freak! You be quiet and listen to me…if you want to find your brother alive!"

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~


	3. Chapter 3

**_Finally an update...sorry that it took so long. I was having serious brain to computer issues. I'm still not sure about how it turned out. My next update should be up this week...*fingers crossed*_**

Chapter 3: Time is short

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Raph had just finished unwrapping a candy bar when his phone started to vibrate across the coffee table.

"See," he said as he popped the bite-sized piece of chocolate in his mouth.

"That should be Leo looking for Mikey."

He picked his cell up and flipped it open. "Hello."

"_Happy Halloween."_

Raph's faced paled as soon as he heard the voice on the phone. He jumped to his feet and couldn't stop the steady stream of obscenities that came out of his mouth.

Everyone's attention was on Raph now. Splinter opened his mouth to reprimand his hot tempered son, but Raph's next statement stopped him.

"Where is our brother? You betta answer me ya nut job!"

"What's going on?" Don was across the room and next to Raph in two strides. "Who is that?"

Raph pushed the speaker button and Hun's voice filled the room.

"_No, freak! You better be quiet and listen to me…if you want to find your brother alive!"_

Hun's laughter filled the room. _"Now that I have your attention…I'm sure everyone is listening. _

"It's on speaker," Raph ground out through clenched teeth.

"_Good. Now tell your tech geek that he shouldn't bother to trace this…blue boy isn't even here."_

"Where is he," Raph repeated.

"_Now that's the Halloween surprise," Hun taunted._

"We ain't playin' your game, jerk!" Raph's voice raised with each word.

"_Aww, but you can't win if you don't play the game."_

"He's lying!" Mikey shouted.

"_Ok, you can waste your time tracking me…your brother's time is limited. Go to the alley on seventh street between North and East apartments. Be there in fifteen minutes. I will call to see if you got my gift."_

The line went dead.

"It's a trap," April said. "You will be walking right into an ambush."

"We will have to risk it," Don said as he fumbled with is cell phone. He had Leo's tracker on, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

Raph shoved his sai in his belt and stalked to he door. Don was right behind him, his weapon and bag in hand. "We'll take the battleshell, it will be faster. There is no way we can get to seventh street in fifteen minutes."

"A'right, let's go. We are wastin' time." Raph was already out in the hall.

Casey gave Aprils hand a squeeze and ran out the door behind his friend, followed by Mikey.

Don bowed to Master Splinter. "We'll call," was all he said and he was out the door too.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Don was relieved that Halloween was over for the night, and there were no trick or treaters on the streets. He pushed the battleshell over the speed limit to make it to the alley on time. They pulled up to the curb and when the street was clear, they quietly made their way into to the alley. Casey stayed at the entrance and kept watch for them.

Nerves were strung tight as they slowly made their way to the back of the alley. Each looking for an ambush.

Mikey was the first to see Leo's swords propped up against the dumpster and a Halloween bag beside of them.

Raph picked up the swords and Mikey grabbed the bag.

"What's in it?" Raph asked.

"A black box," Mikey said and handed the device to Don. "And some kind of Halloween decoration. A coffin." He sat the shoebox sized casket on the ground.

Raph's phone started to ring. He ripped it from his belt and flipped it open.

"What?" Raph hissed into the phone. He was in no mood to play whatever sick game Hun had planned.

"_Did you get my gift?"_

"I'm tired of this run around! Where is Leo?" Raph yelled.

"_Aww, you're not going to say thank you?" _

Don grabbed the phone from him. "What does this mean?"

"_You're the smart one…figure it out."_

Don handed the phone back to Raph. He crouched down beside the small coffin and pushed the red button on the top. Everyone jumped when a spring loaded skeleton shot out, followed by a looped laugh track.

"That's so not funny!" Mikey said as he clutched his chest. "What's that supposed to mean? Is he at a haunted house or something?"

"_Yeah, or something." _Hun's laughter could be heard over the toy's laugh.

Don nervously chew his lip as he studied it. It was a simple Halloween decoration, sold at most stores. But this skeleton wore a blue mask and had a note taped to the front.

_R.I.P._

_6 ft. deep_

Don read the note to himself and then aloud.

"Donny?" Mikey's voice was barely a whisper.

"Rest in Peace, six feet deep," he repeated. His faced paled and his mouth became dry. He couldn't say it.

He wouldn't say it.

"Oh God…"

Don grabbed the phone again. His hands shook and he could barely push the words past the lump in his throat.

"You buried him," he harshly whispered.

"_Ding, ding…we have a winner!"_

"What!" Raph roared.

"Is he…," Mikey didn't want to finish the sentence. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed this was a dream.

"_Oh, don't worry. He's still alive…for now. It's been about thirty minutes. So I'd say he has an hour…maybe a little more."_

Mikey choked back a sob. His brother was buried alive…he didn't have much time.

"_The other present is a communication device. Just push the button and you can talk to him. It's on a timer and you will only have thirty minutes. Once it starts, you can't stop it. So decide which part of his death you want to be there for, because you won't find him."_

"Where is he?" Don yelled into the phone.

Hun's laughter was all he heard before the line went dead.

"What's goin' on?" Casey asked as his friends quickly exited the alley and climbed back into the battleshell.

Panic crawled up his spine when he saw the shocked expressions on their faces. No one looked like they would be able to drive, so Casey went to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel.

"Do you know where Leo is?" Casey was almost afraid to ask…or afraid to know the answer. He couldn't be sure.

"We don't know," Raph's voice was barely audible. He stared at the communicator in his hand. The only life line to their brother.

"Hun said…" his voice broke. He took a deep breath and released it through gritted teeth. "Hun said that he was buried…alive."

"What?" Casey nearly ran a red light. He slammed the brakes and barely heard the horn from another vehicle blare as it sped by him.

"What do we do?" He turned to his friend.

"We have to narrow down where they could have took him," Don spoke up from the back. He had his laptop out and a map of the city on the screen. "It would have to be an old cemetery. Some place they know no one would go..or that wouldn't have a security system."

"Who says that they even took him to a cemetery," Raph replied. "He could be anywhere!"

"Then we need to activate the communicator…call Leo. He may be able to give us some kind of idea of where to search."

Raph nodded and then carefully pushed the button on the device. He silently prayed that it wasn't a trick. That he would hear his brother's voice on the other end.

The object lit up and a clock appeared on the screen, counting down thirty minutes. Raph nervously licked his lips before he spoke.

"Leo?"

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The sounds of dirt being shoveled onto the casket had stopped. The only thing that Leo could hear was his own ragged breathing. What little air he had was stale and musky. He swallowed thickly behind the gag, trying to will the nausea away. He tried not to think about the dead body crushed under him, but the man's bones cut into him each time he shifted.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to slow his breathing…conserve what air he had. But his heart still raced along with his mind. He turned his head slightly and could barely make out the little black box at his head. The flashlight that Hun threw into the casket was nearly dead. Soon the casket will be completely dark. Dark and silent.

He heard a click and the communicator sent an eerie red glow through the casket. Numbers appeared and quickly started to count down. Leo's heart pounded with a new fear. Was this a bomb?

Leo unconsciously tried to move away from the device, even though he knew there was no place to go. But after a few seconds the silence of the grave was broken and Leo's eyes widened at the sound of his brother's voice.

"_Leo?"_

Relief flooded through him. He tried to say his brother's name, but the gag stopped him. Nothing but a muffled groan escaped.

"_Leonardo? Are you a'right? Can you hear me?"_

Leo made a louder noise to let Raph know that he could hear him.

"_Leo? Oh God…Don, I think he is gagged. I can't understand him." _

Leo could hear Raph curse under his breath and then shuffling.

"_Leo?" Don's voice this time. "Don't try to talk, you'll only use up your air. Just..just make one noise for yes and two for no, ok?"_

Tears pricked Leo's eyes as he let out one small groan to tell him that he understood.

"_Hun said that you are in a casket..buried,"_

One muffled groan.

"_Do you know where?"_

Two noises this time.

He could hear a shaky sigh come from his brother.

"_Do you know if you are at a cemetery? D-Did he bury you in a cemetery?"_

Leo's heart squeezed painfully at the fear in his Don's voice. He swallowed thickly and said yes behind the gag. He could at least tell them that much.

"_Ok…ok," Don's voice trailed off. _

More shuffling and it was Mikey's voice this time.

"_Leo, bro.." His voice cracked. "Don is looking on his computer now, we-we are going to check the cemeteries. We'll find you, ok?"_

"Mmmhmm…" Leo managed, a single tear trailed down his cheek.

He closed his eyes and listen to the sound of Mikey's voice. They were looking for him….his brothers were coming.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Oh wow, where does the time go! So sorry that this update has taken so long. Oh and sorry about the ending of this chapter. I had to end it there...the voices made me :)_**

**_Still don't own them...the voices have spoken!_**

**_~ . ~ . ~ . ~_**

Chapter 4: For My Life To Save

Casey was already steering the battleshell in the direction of the address Don had gave him. Sweat started to trickle down his neck. There were nine cemeteries in a ten mile radius that Leo _could _be buried.

He didn't want to think about if Leo wasn't at one of these graveyards.

Mikey and Don took turns talking to Leo. They both tried to keep their older brother calm, which was hard to do when they barely could hold their own emotions in check.

Raph just watched as they passed the communicator back and forth. His teeth were clenched so hard that his jaw hurt. He wanted to talk to Leo too, but he doubted anything he could say would help with keeping anyone calm.

Casey brought the vehicle to a stop outside a set of dark iron gates. They were overgrown with thick vines and one of the gates was off it's hinges.

"Ok, the shovels are in the toolbox," Don said as he pointed to the back of the battleshell. He gathered four flashlights and everyone filed out of the vehicle.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo could hear everyone shuffle around. The doors being opened and then slammed. Mikey sounded out of breath when he told Leo that they were getting ready to search the first cemetery and he would keep the communicator in his belt until they were finished. He had been told that the device only had thirty minutes of time on it, and the back light on his had already faded. He didn't know how much time was on it. How much longer he would be able to hear his family's voices.

Donny's voice sounded muffle as he told them what to look for. Dirt that had been disturbed, plants that had been recently trampled…anything.

Leo's heart squeezed painfully at the desperation in his brother's tone.

He tried to settle down and wait…and pray that he would hear the sound of dirt being shoveled away from his tomb.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Everyone scattered in different directions, a flashlight and shovel in hand. They knew what to look for and they hoped they would find it in time.

Leaves and dead vines littered the whole area. Several monuments had been vandalized and others were so old that the name and date were no longer visible. Raph stomped through the graveyard, his eyes carefully scanned everything that the beam from his flashlight hit. The only time he took his attention off the ground was to look up and track the beams of the others' lights.

He was just about to give up when he saw a pile of leaves by a tombstone. They were misplaced, piled high in an area that didn't have a tree. His heart skipped several beats as he ran to the grave. He crouched down and started to move the leaves out of the way. His breath caught in his throat when he saw freshly dug dirt under the pile.

"Leo," he barely breathed out.

He stood quickly and started to dig. He didn't call out to his brothers or Casey. At the moment he had forgot all about them. He didn't remember until his looked up and saw Casey shoveling dirt out of the way.

"_Please, please, please," Raph's thoughts repeated._

They were only a couple feet into the hole when Raph's shovel hit something fleshy. He could feel the blood drain from his body.

"Oh no…no, no, no!"

Raph dropped to his knees in the shallow grave and carefully removed the dirt with his hands. His mind was screaming but his throat felt so dry and closed up that he didn't think another word would ever escape.

He quickly wiped the dirt away and revealed a shoulder. Then there was an arm.

A human arm. In a tattered t-shirt.

Not his brother…not Leo.

Raph fell on his backside and couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips.

Not his brother.

"Raph?" The concern in Casey's voice must have got his attention.

He roughly rubbed a muddy hand down his face and took a deep breath. "We must'a stumbled on a body dump," Raph said as he scrambled out of the grave.

Casey's frowned at the sight of the partially covered man. "We should call somebody."

Raph nodded. He took out his phone and dialed the number for the authorities. He knew they would not be able to track his phone, so he left an anonymous tip on where to find the body.

He was just putting his phone away when Donny and Mikey found them. Donny was talking on his phone. Raph knew he was talking to April or Master Splinter. Mikey had the communicator out and was talking to Leo.

Raph grabbed the device from his brother.

"Leo?"

He got no answer.

"Leonardo?"

Raph sighed when his blue clad brother responded.

"We're comin', bro. You got that? Hang tight."

Without another word he handed the communicator back to Mikey and took off in the direction of the entrance. There was only fifteen minutes left on the communicator. It took them about ten minutes to check that cemetery and they had eight more to go. Raph glanced at Donny and knew that he had done the math over and over in his head. It wasn't adding up.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The batteries in the flashlight that Hun threw in the casket had finally went dead. The darkness closed around Leonardo like a fist. He tried to latch onto Mikey's voice as he talked to him. They were on their way to the next cemetery. Raph tried to reassure him, but he couldn't help the feeling of dread and fear that was suddenly washing over him.

Mikey was still talking but his voice started to fade. Like it couldn't make it through the thick blackness that was all around.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut and tried to will his brother's voice to come back. But it drifted further and further away.

The ropes around his wrists and arms felt like they were constricting. He twisted and turned, tried to loosen the grip that kept tightening with every jerk. The gag in his mouth seemed to come alive, it tried push it's way further down his throat. The darkness conspired with his bonds…trying to cut off his air supply. Suffocate him.

He started to thrash in a panic. The ropes cut into his arms and wrists. He ignored the warm blood that was running from the wounds. All he could think about was getting out. Getting out of the thick blackness that was squeezing the life out of him.

He didn't hear his brother anymore. Just his heartbeat thundering in his ears.


	5. Chapter 5

**_I wanted to have this up by the weekend...yeah, but work didn't want me too. Again the voices are being evil...and pushy. _**

**_I want them for Christmas...and a bathrobe. Bettcha can't guess which one I'll get. _**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Chapter 5: Please…

Death was all around him. He could feel it. Centuries of sorrow and decay had leaked into the earth and now was attacking him. He screamed as loud as he could but it couldn't make it past the gag. It died in the darkness.

Just like what was happening to him.

He felt every breath that left his body and each one that he pulled back in was shorter than the last.

He was going to die six feet under the earth.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Mikey heard Leo shift around. He didn't think much of it, his brother had to be uncomfortable in the small confines of the coffin. He continued to talk to him while Casey pulled the battleshell back onto the road and toward the next cemetery.

Mikey stopped suddenly when he heard a muffled scream coming from the communicator. An agonizing scream that seemed to carry itself all the way to the front of the vehicle. He knew that it made it to his brothers' ears when he looked up and saw the look of panic on their faces.

Donny was already taking the device from Mikey before Raph even got his seat belt unbuckled.

"Leo?" Donny tried to yell over Leo's thrashing. "Leonardo! Please, you have to calm down!"

"What's goin' on wit 'im, Don?"

Donny shook his head, not even making eye contact with Raph.

"Leonardo!" Don tried again, screaming directly into the speaker. He even shook it, like that would shake his brother out of whatever state of panic he was in.

Mikey could feel his throat start to close up. His vision tunneled and he could barely make out the forms of Raph and Don. They were just a couple of feet from him but the shadows started to swallow them. He couldn't hear Don's desperate attempts at getting Leo's attention.

He heard nothing but his older brother's smothered cries for help.

Hun had _planned_ this. It could have been any one of them in that casket.

It could have been him. He was out trick or treating.

Leo came to get him.

He didn't realize that his whole body started shaking. Breathing became difficult.

Painful.

He felt that the darkness that was attacking his brother found another victim. Numbing cold washed over his body and everything crashed down on him.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Don didn't think that anything could take his attention away from Leo. He had to get his brother to calm down…not use all his air. But then he heard a strangled gasp, he met Raph's eyes with confusion. That wasn't Leo…it wasn't Raph.

His head whipped around so fast that the tails of his bandana caught Raph on the side of the face. Raph didn't have time to react before Don was shoving the small black box into his hand.

"Mikey!" Don was at his side in a second.

The orange clad turtle's face was sickly pale and his breaths were coming out in short strained gasps.

Raph stared down at the device like it could come alive and bite him. _He _had to calm is older brother down while Don tried to help Mikey.

"Don," Casey called from the front. "What do I do? Do you want me to stop?"

"No!" Don answered sharply. He looked up and could see the dark haired man's face was ashen and his eyes were wide. "No, no," he tried not to sound so harsh. "Keep going! We'll handle this."

Casey nodded and turned his attention back to the road.

Time seemed to stand still or speed up, Raph couldn't tell.

He cleared his throat, but the bile was still there. Hot and bitter on his tongue.

"Leo!" he barked into the communicator. "You _have _to calm down!"

Raph took a deep breath and released it through clenched teeth. His voice was anything but soothing. But Raph never sugar coated anything…and he wasn't going to start now.

"Leonardo!" Raph's voice cracked like a whip. " You're going to use up your air! We are lookin' for ya but if ya don't stop freakin' out it's all goin' be for nothing!"

He paused and held his breath. He listened for any sign that he was getting through.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo's body convulsed with pain. His lungs burned.

He didn't want to die.

Another tormented scream rose in his chest but couldn't get past his constricted throat.

He didn't want to die!

A deeper blackness began to nip at his vision.

"_Leo! You have to calm down!"_

His hot tempered brother's voice had made it through the darkness.

A few moments past and Leo thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But then he heard Raph again.

"_Leonardo!"_

He sounded so close, Leo could almost feel Raph's breath on his face. He blinked in the darkness, expecting to see his brother beside him.

Not even a hint of red, nothing but the endless black.

" _You're going to use up your air! We are lookin' for ya but if ya don't stop freakin' out it's all goin' be for nothing!"_

But his air _was _gone. He was suffocating.

Leo didn't hear anything else. He wanted to hear his brother again…he _needed _to hear him.

He struggled to pull another breath in and with all the strength he had left he yelled his brother's name. It was distorted behind the gag but another breath came after that.

Then another.

And then his brother's voice again.

"_Leo? That's it, bro. Breath in and out. Take it slow."_

Even though his chest felt tight each breath came a little easier. He slowly let his body relax until only slight trembles ran through him. He tried to swallow but that made the threads of the cloth travel further down his throat. _That _made the panic knot in his stomach again. But he latched onto his brother's voice.

"_In and out. We're on our way, Leo. Just hold on." _

_~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~_

Raph released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He started to breath along with his brother.

In and out. Slowly.

His head started to clear and he finally glanced toward the back of the battleshell. Mikey's color had returned and Don had him breathing easier.

Donny gave him a shaky smile. Raph wanted to return it, but he didn't have the energy.

"Good job," Raph muttered. He glanced back at the clock on the communicator. It was still rapidly counting down and only five minutes remained.

Raph felt like he had been punched in the gut.

Only five more minutes. What if Leo freaked out again? What if his air ran out. What if….? Raph shook his head. He could feel his blood boil, the anger bubble in his veins.

Hun was going to pay.

"Leo?"

He waited for a response. All he got was a low groan. His brother sounded so exhausted.

"There is only five minutes left on this thing. But, listen to me, ya gotta stay calm. No more freakin' out, bro. We will find ya."

He waited again for an answer. His whole world tumbled out from under him when he heard more thrashing.

"Oh God, Leo! Don't do this!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Wow, another update...scary, huh? This was going to be the last chapter before the epilouge...but I split this one, so one more chapter to go :) And I am working hard to get it posted by Christmas. *crosses heart* Promise. **_

_**All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...wait I got my teeth...I want the turtles!**_

_**~.~.~.~**_

Chapter 6: …Or My Last Breath Will be in This Grave

"Donny! What do we do?" Raph could feel his nerves snap. Leo was freaking out again and Mikey looked on the brink of a fit too.

Don pushed Mikey's head between his knees. "Breath deep, Mikey. Stay calm."

He reached over and grabbed the communicator. "Leo! Please you have to stop."

The movements continued as the clocked ticked down. Don's mind was spinning. If Leo kept this up his air was going to run out before they even get to the next cemetery.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo could hear Don and Raph loud and clear from the speaker. They were desperately trying to get him to calm down. He wanted to call out to them…but he was busy.

He wasn't able to see anything in the coffin, but he could feel. And with all the thrashing that he had done earlier the bones of the dead man under him were scattered. He could feel a long straight bone next to his head that was sticking up. He wiggled himself around and tried to get the edge of the tape covering his mouth caught on the end of the bone.

It was jagged from being broken and his first attempt only left a long scratch down his cheek. He bit back the pain and tried again.

"_Come on…" _he thought when the next two tries left two more marks. He squeezed his eyes shut and blocked out the image of what he was scrapping his face across. Several times he was afraid that he would throw up. The man's burial clothes were dry rotted and itchy against his skin. The smell of death still hung in the air even after all the years of being in the ground.

The feeling of suffocation was overwhelming. From the position he had to put his body in to the silky touch of the liner that was falling on his face. But he couldn't give up. Time was running out.

Finally the tape got snagged and a spark of hope made his heart beat faster. Raph and Don were yelling louder, fear and desperation in their voices. He carefully moved his head and prayed that his plan would work.

At first it didn't budge and he was afraid to pull harder. But then it started to give and slowly tore away from his mouth. When it as halfway off he used his tongue to push the cloth from his mouth.

He thought that being free of the gag would make breathing easier, but the air was thin and he choked on what air he could pull in.

"Guys?" Leo pulled in another strained breath. His throat was dry as cotton. "Y-you there?"

The few seconds of silence seemed to stretch on for hours. Leo's heart dropped. Did he take too much time? Was the communicator dead?

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Don and Raph both tried to get through to Leo. But it seemed they couldn't get his attention this time.

"How did you calm him down before?" Don asked.

"I-I don't know," Raph snapped. "I just told him that he was gonna use up all his air. That we would find him."

Don's eyes grew wide when he heard a cough coming from the device.

"_Guys?"_

You could hear a pin drop.

"_Y-you there?"_

Raph felt like he couldn't catch his breath. He grabbed the communicator from Don, almost dropping it, before he spoke.

"Leo! Oh God, how did you…are-are you ok?" Raph could have smacked himself. Of course he wasn't ok! His brother was stuck in a casket six feet under the ground.

"_S'gettin' hard to breath…"_

Don's heart squeezed. Leo sounded so tired…so far away.

"Just try to relax. Meditate," Don suggested. "You have to conserve what air you have."

"_The communicator d-doesn't have much time."_

"We're on our way, bro," Mikey spoke up. "Just hold on."

"_I-I know."_

Leo sounded like he choked back a sob.

"_I don't know where I am."_

"It don't matta', we'll find ya." Raph wiped his eyes. He didn't realize that several tears had leaked down his face.

The clock screamed at his face, two minutes and five seconds.

One minute and forty five seconds.

"_The c-cemetery is old…really old. Um…I only saw one tree and-and a statue by it."_

Don's face lit up. "The statue was it an angel? Jesus?"

"_Not a-angel...no wings. J-Jesus…maybe Mary."_

Mikey and Raph gave him confused looks. "What's this got.."

Don cut Raph's question off with a wave of his hand.

"Were the hands of the statue outstretched? Or were they close to the body?"

The silence hung in the air for a few moments.

"_Close. L-like praying."_

Don grabbed his laptop and feverishly tapped the keys.

Raph shook his head, if Donny had an idea then he didn't want to break his concentration.

"Can you remember anything else?"

"_Um…I-I don't…there's um…"_

Raph could hear tears in Leo's voice. There was something he wasn't telling…something he didn't want them to know.

He growled under his breath. Now was not the time to hold anything back.

"What Leo? If it can help…tell us!"

"_The-the coffin is used. Look for Dolan…Mis…_

The communicator clicked and Leo's voice was cut off.

"No!"

Mikey ducked when Raph hurled the device across the vehicle.

He turned to Don, who was looking up from his computer.

"Please tell me ya have a plan."

Don nodded, a smile spread across his face.

"Casey, turn around. Take the interstate to exit 47. We are going to Mt. Olive Catholic Cemetery."

~...~...~...~

_**Ok, the statue idea was something that I cooked up. I know that is not how it is...but I needed it to work in my story. ;)**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Oh wow! Finally! I really wanted to have Leo out by Christmas...but that didn't work out. Sorry, Leo :( And this is my longest chapter...ever! I really thought about splitting it, but I wanted to at least have him out by the new year. So here ya go :) I hope it is not too long. _**

**_Oh, and if Leo seems to wig out again...I've read something about people who are drowning or suffocating will hallucinate. And I remember in the C.S.I episode, where Nick gets buried alive, he had a weird vision about his autopsy...so um..yeah. On with the show :)_**

**_I own nothing...and that makes them happy._**

Chapter 7: Amen

"I don't understand," Mikey said. "What does statues have to do with where Leo is?"

"If that is a statue of Mary," Don replied, his eyes still looking over his computer screen. "Then he is more than likely in a catholic cemetery."

"More than likely," Raph grumbled. "What if this lead fizzles? What then, Donny. We don't have much time."

Don looked up from the screen, his eyes leveled with Raph's and matched his glare.

"Don't you think that I know that," Don snapped. His own stomach was churning. What if he _was_ wrong. Then he pretty much just signed Leo's death warrant.

He swallowed hard and tried to bite back his anger. He wasn't mad at Raph and he knew that his red banded brother was not angry with him. It was the situation that had them tore up.

"But this is better than nothing." Don's voice was almost a whisper as he dropped his eyes back to the screen. The light from the laptop reflected in the tears that had welled up.

Raph crossed his arms and his stared turned to the floor.

Mikey cleared his throat. "What are you looking for now?"

"Leo said to look for Dolan," Don answered. "I'm trying to find if there is someone named Dolan buried there."

Mikey nodded but the fear and doubt still knotted in his gut.

"Ok, Donny," Casey called from the driver's seat. "Here is exit 47, which way do I turn?"

"Right at the bottom of the ramp," Don replied. "Then go straight."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Hun was getting more and more frustrated. Each cemetery that he passed, there was no sign of the blue clad turtle's family. He knew that they were searching.

"Where to now, sir?" The foot soldier that was driving the car chanced a peak in the rearview mirror.

Hun angrily tapped his fingers on the arm rest of the car door as he watched the next graveyard pass by the window. It was completely empty and there was no sign that anyone had been there.

His mind was telling him there was no way that the turtles could have found where their brother was. But his gut was telling him something different.

"Go back."

"Sir?"

"You heard me!" Hun blasted. "Go back!"

The soldier glanced over to the ninja that was in the passenger seat. He nodded and turned the sedan in the direction of Mt. Olive Catholic Cemetery.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

After the communicator went dead and clicked off, the silence in the grave was deafening. Leo squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to slow his breathing. The air was growing thinner and his head started to swim.

It felt as if the casket was rocking back and forth in the dirt. He tried to ignore the dizzying feeling and latch on to the familiar comfort of the spiritual plane.

He took as deep of a breath as he could and held on to it. They were on their way and all he had to do was stay alive until they got there.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Cold chills ran through Mikey as he stared out of the window at the old church. The huge stained glass windows were boarded up and the roof was caving in.

"Don, are you sure about this?" Mikey tried to keep the quiver out of his voice.

Casey turned on a dirt road by the church and flipped the headlights on high beam. The gates of the cemetery came into view. They were rusted and broken but the chain that was around them was new.

Don's breath caught in his throat when saw the fresh tire tracks in the mud. He doubted before…but now he was sure.

"Yes, Mikey," he finally answered. "I'm sure."

Raph was the first one out of the vehicle, he went straight to the gate and cut the chain.

Don was behind him, he handed him a shovel and a flashlight. "Look for Dolan. There are several people with that name buried in this cemetery. The dirt will be disturbed.."

"I know what to look for," Raph interrupted and headed into the graveyard.

The clouds had rolled in again and the moon was no longer visible. The flashlights barely cut through the thick darkness that hung over the cemetery.

Mikey's chest felt tight. This was the biggest graveyard he had ever saw. The tombstones and crosses stretched out for miles it seemed. He quickly passed his light across the names, trying to find a Dolan.

He was deep into the grounds when he heard a car's engine. Doors slammed and then angry shouts split the air.

"No." Mikey raced back to his brothers and Casey. When he got to them they were already in battle with Hun and two foot soldiers.

Raph glanced over at his orange clad brother. "Mikey! You and Don find Leo!"

Don swiped the feet out from under one ninja and grabbed his flashlight and shovel. "Come on Mikey, Casey and Raph will handle them! We're running out of time!"

Mikey nodded and ran after Don. He hated to leave Casey and Raph, but splitting up was the smartest thing to do.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo thought he was in the astral plane, the familiar place that he often goes to when he meditated. But he couldn't find the peace that is normally there. There was no peace.

He felt a cool wind against his face. He opened his eyes and found himself standing in the graveyard. It was daylight, but he didn't feel the need to hide.

The smell of death still hung in the air.

He walked further into the graveyard, toward the tree and statue that he knew was there. He drew in a sharp breath when he saw his brothers standing by a grave.

"Guys!" Leo called out and ran toward them. But they didn't look up they just stared down at the tombstone.

As Leo got closer he could see the grave marker.

_Leonardo_

"No."

"They didn't make it." A voice came from behind.

Leo turned quickly to see an older gentleman with a dark suit and cane standing by the tree.

"Who are you?" Leo's couldn't seem to catch his breath.

"You know."

"I-I don't." Breathing was getting painful.

The old man just nodded. The old man with the dark suit…dry rotted and itchy. Bones that cut deep.

Leo looked back to his brothers. They were leaving.

"Wait!" Leo took two steps and his legs gave out, he fell to the ground on his hands and knees. The soft dirt seemed to swallow them.

"Wait." It was barely a whisper.

"They didn't make it." The man repeated. "_You_ didn't make it."

Leo raised his eyes to the old man. His face had a look of pity and sorrow. "Don't worry, son. I will share. We won't be alone."

Darkness swept through the graveyard. Deep and suffocating, blacking out everything that it touched.

"Never alone." The old man's face contorted into a frightening grimace and the skin began to drop off of him in chunks. Nothing but unnaturally bleached bones remained. Bones and an itchy blue suit.

Leo wanted to cry out, but he was afraid that the last bit of air that he had left in his lungs would be his last.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Raph's emotions were tore. He was ready to take revenge on what Hun had done to his brother. And that anger was behind every punch that he threw. But he also didn't want to waste his time while Leo was still in danger. He need to be helping Don and Mikey.

Casey had already took out one of the ninja and was dodging punches from the other. His hockey stick was knocked from his hand and he had to quickly duck the katana that was swung at his head. Casey rolled out of the way of a kick and grabbed his shovel. He swung it as hard as he could and watched with satisfaction as the black clad man crumbled to the ground. Now he could help Raph with Hun.

"I don't know how you figured it out," Hun taunted. "But you are too late, his air ran out a long time ago."

Raph didn't get baited by Hun's words. He concentrated on bringing him down as fast as he could.

Casey crouched behind Hun as Raph landed a kick to his chest. The huge man toppled over and his head crashed down on a tombstone.

Raph carefully approached him and nudged him with his foot. Hun didn't stir.

Casey reached for a pulse. "He's alive."

Raph glanced around the graveyard. A smile crossed his face when he spotted a mausoleum. He would have liked to bury Hun six feet under, like he did Leo. But there was no time. The above ground crypt would have to do.

Raph picked the lock on the door of the old building and pulled it open. The squeaking hinges echoed through the night.

"Come on, Case," Raph said as he grabbed Hun's arms. "Help me get him in here."

Once they got Hun into the mausoleum, Raph pushed the door closed locked it back. He then took one of his sai and stuck it into the top of the door jam.

"See how he likes it," Raph said as he picked up his shovel and light and ran toward his brothers.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Don and Mikey were still looking through the grave markers. So far they had not spotted anything disturbed or anyone named Dolan.

"Don?" Mikey began to ask if he was sure again, but the look on his brother's face when he turned stopped him mid-thought.

"This is the place," Don replied to the unasked question. He felt it stronger now. They were close.

Mikey's heart skipped a beat when he flashed his light across a grave marker.

_ELIZABETH DOLAN_

But there was no disturbed dirt. The flower pot next to the marker was filled with old plastic flowers. Dirty and faded from the years in the weather.

"I have a Dolan," Mikey told his brother. "But the grave hasn't been touched."

"Look around this area," Don said as he crouched down by a faded stone.

_PATRICK DOLAN_

The etching was barely visible, but the only thing that had be disturbed was the weeds that Don was standing on.

He swung his light wildly around the area, frustration creeping up his spine. He stopped when it fell on a lone tree and a statue. The arms of the statue were held so close to the body, cradling the baby Jesus.

"_Leo, where are you?" _Don's mind screamed.

"Here!" He heard Mikey scream from somewhere to his left. "Don! Here, he's here!"

Don ran to where Mikey was already digging. He threw his flashlight down and began helping. Blindly throwing dirt out of the way. The beam of the light hit the tombstone.

JOHN DOLAN

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

"_Here! Don! Here, he's here!"_

Raph didn't think he could run any faster, he felt that he was pushing his body as hard as it would go. But he heard his baby brother scream…they found the grave. His legs pumped harder as he weaved in and out of the tombstones.

Mike and Don were already about two feet into the hole when Casey and Raph arrived. They quickly found a spot and started to help move the dirt out of the grave.

"Where's Hun?" Don asked between labored breaths.

"Taken care of." Was Raph's reply and Don accepted that. He knew that Raph would do all he could to make sure his brother's rescue would not compromised.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo slowly opened his eyes but with the thick blackness surrounding him, he wasn't sure if they were open or not. He couldn't meditate any more…not if it took him back to that place.

He would take one shallow breath and hold it as long as he could. Then he would slowly release it. The air was so dry, it made his chest burn and his throat raw.

The silence of the grave was broken by a distant sound. Leo's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what it was. It got louder and closer…more than one. He turned it over and over in his mind what it could be.

There were more…so loud now.

It sounded like a gravely voice saying…_Hush._

_Hush…Hush._

_Hush…..Hush._

The sound was getting comforting now. Almost like a lullaby.

_Hush….Hush._

_Hush…Hush._

Leo knew that he was supposed to be concentrating on something. But his memory became jumbled. All he heard, all he remembered was the voices telling him to, _Hush_.

It would be alright now…_Hush_.

He let the darkness embrace him like an old friend and released his breath. He didn't even realize that he didn't draw another in.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Casey was the first to hit something solid. "I got it!"

"Careful!" Don warned.

Everyone but Don scrambled out of the grave. Don dropped to his knees and started to remove the dirt from what he hoped was the head of the coffin.

"Leo!" Don screamed as the casket came into view under his hands.

"Give me some light!" Don dug his fingers into the dirt, searching for the lock on the side of the casket. He flipped the latch and prayed that it wasn't damaged…that it would open.

It clicked and Don quickly opened the lid. He didn't hear Raph scream his brother's name. He didn't hear Mikey gasp. All he heard was his own heartbeat that was pounding through his head.

His brother lay motionless in the casket. Don could feel his stomach churn when he saw the bones and tattered clothes scattered in the coffin with him. But he bit back the nausea and reached out for Leo. He quickly lifted him out of the casket into the waiting arms of Mikey and Raph.

"Leo!" Raph shook his brother. His heart dropped when he got no response.

"Don?" The red banded turtle's eyes burned into his brother as he picked himself out of the grave.

No time for shock or grief. He had to do something.

Don reached out for a pulse. He felt a small spark of hope when he felt a small thump under his fingers.

He moved out of the way and let Raph cut the ropes away from Leo's arms and wrists. Just as soon as the bloody nylon fell away Don moved back in. He put his head by Leo's mouth and tried to feel for his breath. He felt nothing on his cheek.

"I need some light." Don's voice sounded foreign to his own ears.

Casey and Raph trained their lights on Leo's body. Don watched for Leo's chest to rise and fall.

It didn't.

"He's not breathing!"

Don pulled the rest of the tape off Leo's mouth and tilted his head back. He swiped his mouth and checked again.

Nothing.

Don quickly started mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Two breaths.

Check for breathing.

Two breaths and then check.

Still nothing, a pulse but no air.

He wanted to urge his brother to wake up…to be alright. But he didn't want to waste his own air. The same oxygen he was giving to Leo.

Two more breaths…nothing.

"Please, Leo." He could hear Mikey somewhere behind him.

Again and again, Leo's chest would rise with the air that Don blew into his lungs and then fall again. But would not rise on it's own.

He check his pulse again and felt relieved at the tremor under his finger.

Don put his face back down by Leo's face. He tried to hold back the sob that was building in his throat. He couldn't check his chest because his eyes were clouded over with tears.

Raph started to panic when Don didn't raise back up to give Leo more breaths. When he saw his shoulders start to shake and heard him start to softly weep.

"Don't give up, Donny! Keep going!"

"I-I can't…I," Don started to raise up but a soft wisp of air caught his attention. He wasn't sure if it was just the wind. Or if it was what he wanted to feel.

He quickly rubbed the tears out of his eyes and watched Leo's chest. The seconds seemed like an eternity but then he felt it again.

And Leo's chest rose a fraction before slowly going back down.

"Oh God, Leo…" Don choked out.

Don took a deep breath. "Ok, let's get him out of here."

Raph didn't miss a beat. He scooped his brother up and quickly started back toward the battleshell. Mikey, Casey, and Don were not far behind.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

_**Recovery and epilogue up next. :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Oh boy…what can I say? I am so so sorry for taking so long updating. But now that I am rid of my life blood sucking job, I can spend more time with my family and doing the other things that I love. Hope y'all are still with me. The epilogue will be after this and I promise that it will not take over a year. If all goes well, I can update next week. **_

_**I don't own…I just neglect, heh.**_

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Chapter 8: Sleep tight, until morning light

The trip back to the battleshell took longer than Don had wanted. He sprinted ahead of the group and had the doors to the vehicle open before Raph even stepped through the gates of the cemetery. He helped Raph settle Leo in the back, his fingers automatically reached for a pulse. He blew out a breath when he felt the steady rhythm under his grip. Don looked up suddenly when Raph started to walk back toward the graveyard, Casey close behind him.

"Where are you going, Raph?" Don called after him. "We have to go!"

"I have somethin' to take care of," he answered over his shoulder. "It won't take long."

Don sighed, he didn't have time to argue. He quickly slid an oxygen mask over Leo's face.

"Get my med-kit, Mike."

Mikey nodded and gathered the supplies his brother would need. He was happy for something productive to do. Anything to distract his mind from bringing up the images of his brother in the grave with the scattered bones...not moving...not breathing.

It wasn't a full minute until Raph and Casey climbed into the battleshell. Raph took a spot beside his blue clad brother and Casey slid behind the wheel.

"How is he?" Raph turned his attention to Leo.

"He's breathing," Don answered as he untangled the tubing to the oxygen tank and turned the valve.

"Then why does he need oxygen?"

"He was in that coffin for almost two hours, and I'm not sure how long he had stopped breathing…" Don's voice trailed off.

He swallowed hard and raised his eyes to meet Raph's. "It's alright, Raph. This is just to give him some fresh air. I'm not going to leave it on long."

"Most of these wounds are superficial," Don continued as he started to clean some of the cuts that littered Leo's arms. He motioned to the bruising on his face and the abrasions on his wrists and arms. "I'm not too worried about _them._"

Raph nodded. He knew that Leo's physical wounds would not compare to the mental impact that being buried alive would have on him. He felt chills run up his spine when he thought about what it must have been like. No light, no air. His breath caught in his throat and he had to physically shake himself to get another breath.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Leo started to stir. He could hear voices, whispering voices talking in a rush. He cracked his eyes open but it was still dark and he could feel a pressure on his face. His hands automatically reached up to take it off.

"Leo!"

"Bro, don't.."

"Hold him."

Voices sounded off at the same time and his hands were pushed down to his sides. Panic surged through him and he struggled against the grips.

"Calm down, Leo." Don's voice whispered in his ear. His head turned to the sound and he searched the darkness for the communicator. Did it start working again?

"Breath in and out, breath deep. That's it, bro."

Don sounded so close.

Leo took several deep breaths, his vision started to clear. Shadows appeared over him, familiar outlines against the darkness. After a few more breaths, faces and colors came into focus.

"Hey, bro," Don smiled at his brother.

Leo opened and closed his mouth, nothing but a harsh croak came out. He squeezed his eyes shut as a couple of tears leaked down his face. He stopped struggling under Raph and Mikey's grip, but his shoulders started to shake with emotion. Soon his whole body was trembling. His brothers had made it. He was safe.

Leo took several more deep breaths, the fresh air felt so good to his burning lungs and throat. His eyes fluttered open again when he felt his arm being squeezed gently. The look of worry etched on each of his brothers' faces was enough to make his heart ache. Raph stared down at him like if he was to blink his brother would disappear forever. Don's brow furrowed as he concentrated on cleaning the scratch down his face. Leo shivered at the thought of what caused that wound. Mikey's eyes watered and tears left muddy streaks down his cheeks.

"S'gna be k," Leo mumbled.

Mikey sputtered out a half sob and half laugh. "Dude, we should be telling _you_ that."

A low hum was all he could answer but a small smile spread across his face.

Don could see the exhaustion in Leo's eyes, not just physical fatigue. "It's ok, Leo. Rest. We will be home soon." Don ran his hand gently down Leo's face, a subtle way to get him to close his eyes.

Leo closed his eyes again and sank down into sleep, feeling safe and secure with his brothers around him and the battleshell rumbling under him.

Don sighed and looked at Raph. "Call April, tell her that we are on our way home."

Raph nodded and pulled his shellcell out. After a whispered conversation, he shut the phone with a snap. "They are waiting at the lair."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Splinter knew that his sons had arrived home even before the door could be heard. He felt each spirit, although one was weak. Raphael had told April that they had found Leonardo in time and he was ok. It still didn't make it any easier to see his oldest son being carried into the lair by Michelangelo and Raphael.

Donatello stopped long enough to give Splinter a short bow and then he started toward the lab. Splinter noticed the speed in his son's step, but felt relieved that there was no life or death urgency about it.

"Take him to his room," Don called from the lab. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Is there anything you need me to do, Don?" April was already heading in his direction.

"I need some warm water and towels," Don answered. "Thank you, April."

April waved the remark off and turned toward the kitchen.

Splinter slowly made his way up the stairs to Leonardo's room. Mikey and Raph had already settled him in his bed by the time the rat came through the door.

"Turn the lamp on, Mikey," Raph said as he pulled the blanket over his brother. He knew that Leo would want some light when he woke up.

Splinter blew out a deep breath when he got his first good look at his injured son. He had a few cuts and bruises, but otherwise looked fine. He knew that Raphael wouldn't lie to him, but there was something about seeing it with his own eyes that brought relief.

"He really _is_ going to be alright, Father." Donatello's sudden voice made Splinter jump slightly.

He smiled apologetically as he crossed the room. "He just has a few bruises and none of the cuts need stitching."

Don had already removed the oxygen before they brought him in, his steady breaths and strong pulse were reassuring. Raph took his brother's blue mask off so Don could get a good look at the swelling around Leo's eye and jaw. He didn't even stir with all the noise and movement around him.

"Ya sure he's ok?" Raph's voice was strained.

Don hesitated and then nodded slowly. "He is just...tired."

"Tired?" Raph sputtered. _Tired_ made it sound like Leo just needed a nap...that he stayed up too late or he over did it in the dojo.

"Exhausted." Don corrected himself. "The stress of being in the grave, physically and mentally...it was just too much."

"When will he wake up?" Mikey asked.

Don shrugged. "I'm really not sure."

"My sons, it is almost dawn. Perhaps you should all get some rest as well."

Don nodded as he wiped some of the mud off of his plastron. "I'll get cleaned up and stay here with..."

"I'll stay with Leo," Mikey interrupted.

Don opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it when he saw the determined look in his brother's eyes.

He nodded. "Alright, Mikey. Come get me if you need to, Ok?"

Mikey dipped his head slightly, his eyes never leaving Leo.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Mikey tried to get comfortable on the small cot that Raph had brought to Leo's room. The events of the night played over and over in his mind. Hearing his brother's muffled cries over the communicator, the smell of wet dirt, the sight of Leo in the coffin when Don opened the lid.

He squeezed his eyes shut, blocked out all the other sounds and just listened to Leo's even breaths carry through the room.

He was home safe.

Alive.

He wasn't sure how long Leo would sleep and he was surprised when thirty minutes later, his brother started to stir.

Mikey carefully approached Leo's bedside.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

_Leo could feel the darkness close around him like a vice, crushing him. He couldn't move...couldn't breath. The smell of death hung heavy in the air. _

_He could hear Hun's voice over the pounding of his heart. _

_"Trick or treat, freak!"_

_Boney hands gripped his arms and jagged finger nails dug into his flesh, pulling him deeper into the sludgelike blackness._

_~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~_

Mikey stumpled back a few steps when Leo shot up in the bed. His older brother gasped for breath like someone drowning. His hands clawed at his throat, willing the air to get to his lungs.

"Leo?" Mikey quickly made it to his side.

Leo didn't seem to know Mikey was in the room, he just continued to struggle to get his breathing under control. He violently kicked the blankets from his body, not wanting anything to feel like it was binding him down. The rescue seemed like a dream, one of the hallunciations that he saw while in the coffin.

He finally looked at the orange clad turtle when he felt Mikey's hand on his arm.

"M-Mike?" Leo blinked a few times.

"Yeah, bro. It's alright, you're home now."

Leo's eyes scanned the room and his breathing started to slow to normal.

"Why don't you lay back down," Mikey said as he guided Leo back to the pillow.

"NO!" Leo's voice cracked and he pushed Mikey's hands away.

Mikey jumped back, thinking he hurt his brother. Don must have missed something. "Do you want me to get Donnie?"

Leo shook his head. "No, Mikey," his voice came out in a strained whisper. "I-I'm Ok, I just...I want to-to sit up for a few minutes."

Mikey suddenly realized that he wanted to sit up because he could now. He moved to sit next to Leo on the bed.

"Do you want something to drink?" Mikey asked. "I could get you some water."

Leo looked up at his brother. His throat felt like sandpaper and water sounded so good, but he shook his head.

"No..don't leave...not-not yet, Ok?"

Mikey nodded. There was a few minutes of awkward silence, just Leo's strained breathing could be heard.

He cleared his throat nervously. "I-I'm sorry, Leo," Mikey barely whispered out.

Leo squinted his eyes at him.

"I'm sorry," he said a little louder, thinking Leo didn't hear him.

"Sorry?" Leo repeated.

Mikey numbly nodded.

"F-for what?"

"If I didn't go out...then you wouldn't have...Hun couldn't have..." The words spilled out of his mouth just as fast as the tears did from his eyes.

"Wait, wait," Leo interuppted Mikey's apology. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, Mikey. None of this was your fault."

Mikey wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "What?" he choked out. "You don't think it was your fault, do you?"

Mikey narrowed his eyes at his brother when he didn't answer right away.

"No," Leo finally answered. "It was no one's fault...except Hun's. He planned this, Mikey."

Mikey felt his breath catch in his throat. It was meant for him and Leo just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I-I was afraid," Mikey's voice shook. "I didn't think we would find you."

Leo drew a deep breath and slowly released it. "But you did."

"Did-did you doubt?"

Leo bit his lip. "I was afraid too." He couldn't hide the quiver in his voice.

His whole body shivered as the crushing feeling returned. "We are used to the shadows, Mikey," Leo continued. "But this was different...the darkness was _different_. I tried to stay calm but I just couldn't stop the panic...it got out of control.

Leo swallowed hard. "I couldn't stop it...the more I moved around the worse it got."

"I'm sorry, Mikey...I-I should have been stronger," his voice trailed off. "I didn't help the situation."

Mikey opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by someone clearing their throat. Both brothers looked to the doorway to find Don standing there holding a glass of water.

"It was a panic attack, Leo," Don spoke up. He walked to the bed and handed his brother the cup. "And it couldn't be helped."

"How are you feeling now?" Don said as he sat next to his brother on the bed.

"Tired and sore," Leo said as he took a sip of the water, the liquid instanly soothed his throat.

"Thanks, Donnie."

Don smiled and nodded. "No problem, bro. You have been through a lot. I want to you to rest as much as possible and one of us will bunk in with you for a while."

"I'm Ok, Don," Leo objected. "I don't need..."

"Physically, you are ok, Leo, just bruised up a bit. But..." Don's voice trailed off. He had heard his brother waking up from his nightmare, gasping for breath.

"Please, Leo, just humor me."

"Where is Raph?" Leo tried desperately to change the subject.

"Still asleep, I guess," Don answered.

"Wrong, genius," Raph's tired voice came from the doorway. "No one can sleep with you hens cackling," he said as he strode into the room.

"How ya feelin', bro?" Raph took a seat on the cot across from Leo's bed.

"I feel alright." Leo looked around the room. "Really, guys. I'm fine."

His brothers looked at him like he could go crazy at any moment, and the feeling was just as overwhelming as being in the coffin. He took a deep breath to clear his head.

"I am kinda hungry," he mumbled. He want to shift their attention on something else. He couldn't have another attack...not now, not in front of everyone. He was home and safe...they made it..._he _made it.

His breathing was coming out in short gasps. The more he tried to shake the feeling the more it beared down on him. Darkness was nipping at the edge of his vision. He could hear the dirt and debris being shoveled onto the coffin, Hun's voice...the rattle of bones. It seemed so vivid and real that it felt like he was still in six feet under the earth.

Don was the first to notice and he took Mikey's place on the bed beside his brother. He gently shook his shoulder, trying to get him to snap out of it. When that didn't work he called his name. It took several times before Leo's eyes started to focus again.

..eo? Leonardo!"

"Don?" His voice was barely over a whisper. He glanced around the room again at the worried faces of his brothers.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, his cheeks darkened several shades. "I'm alright, Don."

He took several quivering breaths. "I'm Ok, now."

Don's eyes widened and he gave Leo's arm a squeeze. Leo knew what he was silently telling him. The panic attack seemed to come out of nowhere...he wasn't out of the woods yet.

"I-I know, Donnie." He gave his broher a small smile. "I understand."

"Are you still up for some food?" Raph asked. He tried to be casual, but Leo could see the anxiety on his face.

Leo nodded.

"We could make some breakfast and bring it up to you."

"No," Leo said as he shifted off of the bed. "I'll join you."

Raph looked at Don as he helped Leo to his feet. Don just nodded his head.

Leo swayed a bit and Raph grabbed his other side. "Ya sure, bro?" Raph asked.

"Positive." Leo gritted his teeth and waited for the wave of dizziness to pass.

He took a few shakey steps toward the door with Don and Raph a couple of feet behind him, ready to catch him if his legs gave out.

He stopped at the door and turned to the bed, where Mikey was still sitting. "You coming, Mike?"

"Yeah," he said, his eyes were fixed on the floor.

"Um, could you guys start on breakfast," Leo asked as he made his way back to the bed. "Mikey and I will join you in a few minutes."

"Yeah, sure," Don said as he and Raph left the room.

Leo waited until he could hear their footsteps going down the stairs before he turned to his brother. "Mikey?"

He sighed when Mikey wouldn't look at him. "Mikey, I-I'm sorry...I tried to not...I couldn't.."

He stopped when his brother shook his head, a few tears rolled down his cheek. "No, Leo...I'm so-so sorry. I shouldn't have went out...I'll never do that again, I promise. Just be ok, please. Just be ok..."

Mikey sucked in a sharp breath when Leo pulled him into a hug. "I already told you, Mikey, that it wasn't your fault."

Mikey pulled away from Leo and scrubbed his face with the back of his hand. "But it is...If I woud have just stayed at April's instead of going out then none of this would have happened."

Leo thought back to Mikey's face as he trick or treated with the other kids and how happy he looked. "It wasn't your fault," Leo repeated. "Or mine, or anyone. It was Hun. And I don't want him to ruin the one night that you can go out and just be yourself."

Mikey gave Leo a confused look.

"I'm not going to let this get the better of me, Mikey, and I won't let it do that to you too. If we do, then Hun wins after all."

Mikey nodded, his gaze still was fixed on the ground.

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy." Leo swallowed hard. "Nightmares are never easy."

"But we are here for each other. _All _of us."

He clapped his brother on the shell. "Ready for breakfast? The others are waiting."

"Yeah," Mikey answered and helped his brother to his feet.

Leo slowly shuffled out the door and down the stairs. Mikey stayed a couple of feet behind him, far enough to give him some space, but close enought to help if he needed it.

They joined their family in the kitchen, where April had already started on breakfast.

"Hey, guys," April greeted with a smile. "It is almost ready, take a seat."

"Thanks, April," Leo said as he sat in the nearest chair.

"It's no problem at all," April's voice cracked a bit. "I'm just glad that you are ok and home safe."

She turned and placed a stack of toast on the table and Leo noticed tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"I-I'm ok, April," Leo stuttered. He hated to see his friend so close to crying.

"So," Don spoke up. He watched his brother closely from the corner of his eye. "Raph, I've been wanting to ask you what you and Casey went back for at the cemetary."

Don wanted to shift the conversation, so April could calm down and Leo wouldn't start to feel overwhelmed. The next few day will be like walking on egg shells.

Raph looked at Casey with a wicked smile on his face. Casey returned the smirk.

"Well," Raph started. "Case-man and I wanted to make sure Hun had something interesting to wake up to."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Sunlight filtered through the small stainglass window sending a kleidscope of colors around the dusty room. Hun groaned before his eyes snapped open. Memories started to flood back and he raised up drawing in a sharp breath. He instantly regretted the sudden movement as the room spun and his head pounded.

"Auugh..stupid turtles," he muttered as he ran his hand roughly down his face.

He looked around the small room and as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, his breath hitched.

In the corner of the room was a stone slab and resting on top was a coffin.

He scrambled to his feet and stumbled to the door...the only way out. He tried to open it, but it would not budge. He thought about throwing himself against it, but was afraid that the whole building would fall down. He growled under his breath and turned to the window.

The painfully small window.

He scowled as he picked up the vase of flowers by the coffin. After tossing it up and down in his hand a couple of times he hurled it at the stainglass. It shattered and sunlight poured into the room. Hun suppressed a shiver and finished knocking the glass out of the frame. He poked his head out and looked around. It wasn't long before he spotted the two foot soldiers that were with him.

"Hey!" Hun yelled.

One of the ninja turned his head to the sound. The other sat on the ground, his mask was removed and he was cradling his head in his hands.

"Get me out of here!"

The ninja limped to the mausolem and removed the sai that was jammed into the doorframe. He used the sharp point and picked the lock. Hun pushed the door open from the inside sending the soldier staggering backward.

"Those freaks are going to pay for this," Hun growled as he stalked out of the cemetery.

He got to the gate and his face fell. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles bleached.

His car sat just where had left it, the only difference was, all the windows were busted out, the tires were slashed, the hood was popped and all the fluids that the car needed had leaked onto the ground.

The two ninja, one supporting the other, had finally caught up with the mountainous man. Both exchanged looks and prepared for the explosion that they knew was coming.

Hun ground his teeth together painfully. He looked back at the ninja and then to his wrecked car.

"Crud."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~.


End file.
